26/02/2009 | Choosing a Graduate Program, Choosing a Grad School

Canada - Graduate opportunities for international students

By: James Donald

With its endless opportunities for discovery and adventure, open-minded people and highly respected degrees, could there be a better place to study than Canada? JAMES DONALD considers the draw of studying in this stunning country where strong investment in education keeps the cost of tuition down and the quality up, and residency opportunities make future careers there a real possibility.

Canada has much to be proud of in terms of its education. Two important deciding factors for international students are the cost and quality of education. Laurens Verkade, Manager of Graduate Admissions at McGill University in Montreal says: “Of all the G8 countries, Canada spends the second highest percentage of our GDP on education. This keeps the institutions well funded and the tuition fees low. In fact, Canada offers the lowest tuition rates for foreign students compared to the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US. A degree from a Canadian university will be well respected in academic circles, businesses, and governments around the world.”

Canadians are inquisitive people and governments as well as corporations understand the benefits of furthering knowledge.

Benoit Chapdelaine, Recruitment Administrator of DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University says the high level of investment ensures a high standard of education for international students: “Given that almost every university in the country is funded by government, the standards they must uphold and strive towards are extremely high. Consistency in quality from one school to the next is remarkable and that is significantly due to the value given to research in this country. Canadians are inquisitive people and governments as well as corporations understand the benefits of furthering knowledge.”

Variety is something which Canadian Institutions are able to offer international graduate students. “Canadian universities offer a wide variety of graduate degrees,” says Verkade. “With a little research, interested students are sure to discover programs that will suit their ambitions. In disciplines as diverse as business, arts, sciences and fine arts it is possible to find programs that focus on research and scholarship, or programs that lead to a professional career. And in many cases Masters degrees are offered with a thesis or a non-thesis option. There are also great opportunities for research at both the Master and Doctorate levels as well as course-based or professional options such as MBA and MD programs.”

Chapdelaine also stresses the variety of graduate education in Canada: “The beauty of graduate studies in Canada is that we offer programs in a wide variety of fields: from sciences and engineering to medicine and health sciences, most students are capable of finding a program that fits their needs. Art, humanities, social sciences, business and other areas can also be found on most Canadian university campuses.” He recommends contacting the graduate studies department of each university to find an accurate list of program options.

“The greatest advantage of studying in Canada is our multiculturalism and our open-mindedness."

Canadians are also very welcoming according to Chapdelaine: “The greatest advantage of studying in Canada is our multiculturalism and our open-mindedness. Canadians recognize that we all come from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds and welcome new ideas and beliefs. Canadians respect and accept others’ practices of different religions and cultural rituals. Visitors can feel free to maintain and express their own cultural and ethnic identity during their stay in Canada. Another point I would like to make about Canada is the stability and safety it offers. The Canadian socio-political environment allows residents and visitors to enjoy a safe and tranquil environment conducive to focusing one’s attention on his or her studies. The open policies on immigration could also offer some international students a great opportunity for permanent residency and successful careers in Canada following completion of their studies.”

Canada has made the United Nation’s top 10 list of best places to live since 1994. “This is a result of the safety of Canadian cities, our universal health care system, and the accessibility of education,” says Verkade. “Thanks in part to the technological advancements produced in Canadian universities, graduate education in Canada has been provided with access to a range of cutting edge technology.”